On Sept. 11, 2001, I was at work. I had accepted a position as an assistant chief of service (ACS) for the Department of Medicine, which is Hopkins-speak for a hybrid position that involves all the administrative duties of a chief resident, plus the responsibility of an attending. For a year, I admitted patients to…
On Dec. 8, the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) issued an emergency use authorization (EUA) for AstraZeneca’s Evusheld (tixagevimab co-packaged with cilgavimab and administered together) for the pre-exposure prophylaxis (prevention) of COVID-19 in certain adults and pediatric individuals (12 years of age and older weighing at least 40 kilograms [about 88 pounds]). The product…
ACR CONVERGENCE 2021—Rheumatology patients who test positive for COVID-19 would benefit from early use of monoclonal antibodies, said Luis Ostrosky-Zeichner, MD, chief of the Division of Infectious Diseases, McGovern Medical School, University of Texas Health Science Center (UTHealth), Houston, in a session about effective treatment options for COVID-19. Acknowledging that the SARS-CoV-2 virus has already…
The ACR highlights essential information for providers for 2022 MIPS reporting in the 2022 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule Final Rule, published Nov. 2.
New concepts in autoimmunity & immunology are being discovered daily in research being conducted to understand the SARS-CoV-2 virus and its implications for rheumatology & all fields of medicine. Here are some insights shared by experts during day 1 of the Basic and Clinical Research Conference.
After a year marked with rheumatology gains in evaluation and management valuation, as well as quality reporting, ongoing ACR efforts target impending Medicare reimbursement cuts and other practice challenges.
On Sept. 9, my 5-year-old son boarded a bus for his first day of kindergarten. In some senses, this was no different from any other year. We spent weeks trying to get him excited for school (he is not a fan of changes). We went to kindergarten orientation, toured his classroom and sat on his…
On Nov. 3, the inaugural, virtual Global Rheumatology Summit brought together specialists from all over the world to share critical expertise on global health issues related to rheumatology.
Keynote speaker Seema Yasmin, MD, brought her unique perspective to moving past the pandemic to improve provider mental health, address vaccine hesitancy and prepare for future health crises.
It feels like a long decade has passed since March 2020. At The Rheumatologist, we closed out 2020 with a special supplement on gout. Physician Editor Phil Seo, MD, MHS, kicked off that supplement with, “COVID-19. Black Lives Matter. A new gout guideline. These are some of the things 2020 ushered in. And we’re unlikely…